Emma Stevens facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Emma Stevens
Stevens in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Emma Nadine Stevens
Born	(1986-05-04) 4 May 1986 (age 39) Guildford, Surrey, England
Genres	Pop country folk
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar ukulele mandolin banjo piano cello
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Emma Stevens Music Ltd Rising Tide Music Soft Rock Records Bright Star Records

Emma Nadine Stevens (born May 4, 1986) is an English singer and songwriter from Guildford, England. She became well-known with her song "Riptide" from her first album, Enchanted. This song was chosen as the iTunes Single of the Week in October 2013 and was downloaded over 150,000 times! Emma calls her music "sparkly folk pop."

Emma's Early Life and Musical Journey

Emma Stevens was born in Guildford, England, to Toby and Tina Stevens. She has a younger sister named Ellen. Emma grew up in Shalford, a village near Guildford.

Her musical journey began very early. When she was just two or three years old, Emma watched her mom play the Spanish acoustic guitar. She would even make up her own little tunes! Seeing her talent, Emma's parents started her on cello and piano lessons when she was six. She later joined the Surrey Youth Orchestra. By age 10, she was taking orchestra and piano lessons at Charterhouse.

Emma started writing her own songs around age 12 or 13, when she began playing the guitar more seriously. She would also write melodies on the piano and even wrote poetry. She loved combining her poems with music.

Emma's first time performing on stage was at 13, at a local place in Guildford. She remembers being scared but also loving to sing her songs for an audience, just like she does today. From 2006 to 2007, Emma studied at the Academy of Contemporary Music. She earned a diploma in Guitar and Contemporary Performance. Here, she met Sam Whiting, who would become her guitarist.

Emma's First Steps in Music

While still at the Academy of Contemporary Music, Emma formed a band called Wildstar with her friend Charlotte "Charlie" Hewson. They were an acoustic pop duo, playing both cover songs and their own original music.

After finishing her studies, Emma worked as a session musician. This means she played guitar and piano for other music groups. She also started working with different songwriters. One of her early projects was writing songs for Andrew Muir, a finalist from Britain's Got Talent.

In 2010, Emma wrote a song called "Wowowow" for the famous Korean boy band SHINee. This song was featured on their album Lucifer. It sold 100,000 copies in its first week as a single! Emma also toured Europe with a band called Shooting Lead Rabbits.

While writing songs in Los Angeles, a songwriter named Charlie Midnight encouraged Emma to think about starting her own solo music career. She also worked with many other talented writers and musicians. In 2011, she toured with the British rock band Fin, opening for big bands like Incubus and The Kooks. She often played for crowds of 20,000 people!

Emma's Solo Music Career

Her First Album: Enchanted (2012–2014)

In early 2012, Emma's mom was diagnosed with cancer. Her mom had always encouraged her to become a solo artist. Emma decided to follow her dream. Just two weeks before her mom passed away in March 2012, they planned how Emma's first album would be released. They decided it would come out as four smaller EPs (Extended Plays) first. Emma's mom even designed the artwork for these EPs, which would later form the full album cover for Enchanted.

In November 2011, Emma began working with Pete Woodroffe, a well-known producer. He helped her write 14 songs and produced all four EPs and the album. Emma has called him her "Ultimate Hero."

In August 2012, Emma was featured by BBC Introducing, a program that helps new artists. She performed four songs live on the radio. Her first single, "A Place Called You," was released in October 2012. It was first played on BBC Radio 2 and has since been streamed over 3 million times on Spotify!

Emma toured a lot in 2012 to promote her Heart on Hand EP. In 2013, she worked with English folk-rock singer Passenger on a song called "I'll Be Your Man." Terry Wogan, a famous radio host, continued to support Emma's music. She even performed live on his show, Weekend Wogan, in March 2013. She also sang with American singer Jenn Bostic, and they became good friends, touring together twice.

Her song "Once" was added to the BBC Radio 2 playlist in March 2013. Later, "A Place Called You" was re-released and also added to the BBC Radio 2 playlist. Chris Evans, another BBC Radio 2 host, also supported Emma. He invited her to play at his Carfest festival, which raises money for the BBC Children in Need charity. Emma also headlined the BBC Introducing stage at Festival in a Day in Hyde Park in September 2013.

The recording for her first album was finished in September 2013. The final EP, Sunflower, was released in October 2013. It included her third single, "Riptide," and the song "Sunflower." Emma wrote "Sunflower" about losing her mom. She said it helped her through the grieving process. Both "Riptide" and "Sunflower" were written very quickly. "Riptide" was playlisted by BBC Radio 2 and became the iTunes Single of the Week in several countries. Emma decided to release Enchanted herself, rather than signing with a big record label.

New Albums: Waves and To My Roots (2014–2017)

In 2014, Emma worked with Pete Woodroffe again on her second album, Waves. The first song from this album, "Make My Day," was released in August 2014 and was also played on BBC Radio 2. Waves was released in November 2014.

In August 2015, a special deluxe edition of Waves was released with extra songs. One of these new songs, "Never Gonna Change," came out as a single in June 2015.

Emma spent a month in Nashville in 2015, working with musicians and songwriters for her third album, To My Roots. This was her first album that she produced herself. It included songs she wrote with Charlie Midnight and Pete Woodroffe. The first single from the album, "Sing Out (Hey La Hey Lo)," was released in June 2017. To My Roots came out in July 2017, followed by the title track "To My Roots" as a second single. In April 2017, Emma was chosen to be part of the UK jury for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Recent Music: Christmas, Atoms and Light Year (2017–Present)

In November 2017, Emma released Christmas, an EP with four festive songs. It included covers of popular holiday tunes and a collaboration with Michael Spriggs.

Emma's song "A Place Called You" became very popular in China. It was featured on a Chinese TV show called Where Are We Going Dad?, which had 75 million viewers! In April 2019, she released a new song called "The Cappuccino Song" just for China, to go with her seven-city tour there. This song was also on her "Greatest Hits" album released only in China.

In 2018, Emma worked with writers like Charlie Midnight and Kevin Jeremiah from the band The Feeling. This led to a five-song EP called Atoms, released in May 2019. The main song, "Because It's You," is a duet with Kevin Jeremiah. The title track, "Atoms," was later remixed and released as a single.

Emma's fourth studio album, Light Year, was released in April 2021. Before the album, she released several singles, including "Jump In," "Forever," and "Keep Dreaming." Two more singles, "The Longing" (October 2021) and "Love Revolution" (June 2022), have been released. These songs show a new, more rock-focused sound for her upcoming fifth album.

Emma's Personal Life

Emma Stevens still lives in the Guildford area of England. Besides her music, she loves surfing and being by the sea. Emma married her longtime boyfriend, Sam Rommer, in July 2022 at Croyde Bay.

Emma's Music Releases

EPs

• Heart on Hand (2012)
• Dreaming Trees (2013)
• Underwater (2013)
• Sunflower (2013)
• Christmas (2017)
• Atoms (2019)

Albums

• Enchanted (2013)
• Waves (2014)
• Waves (Deluxe Edition) (2015)
• To My Roots (2017)
• Light Year (2021)

Singles

• "A Place Called You" (October 2012)
• "Once" (March 2013)
• "Riptide" (October 2013)
• "Make My Day" (August 2014)
• "Gold Rush" (November 2014)
• "Never Gonna Change" (June 2015)
• "Sing Out (Hey La Hey Lo)" (June 2017)
• "To My Roots" (August 2017)
• "Because It's You" (May 2019)
• "Atoms" (November 2019)
• "Jump In" (September 2020)
• "Forever" (October 2020)
• "The Rain Fell on Haikou" (November 2020)
• "Keep Dreaming" (December 2020)
• "On a Day Like Today" (January 2021)
• "The Grass Is Always Greener" (February 2021)
• "The Longing" (October 2021)
• "Love Revolution" (June 2022)

Emma's Live Performances on TV and Radio

Emma's Solo Tours

Emma went on the Heart on Hand Tour after her first EP was released.

In February 2013, Emma supported Jenn Bostic on her first UK tour.

The Dreaming Trees Tour promoted her second EP, released in 2013.

In September and October 2013, Emma supported British singer-songwriter Sam Gray on his UK tour.

In November and December 2013, Emma joined Jenn Bostic again on her second UK tour.

In March 2014, Emma started the Enchanted Tour, a national tour with her full band.

Starting in April 2015, Emma went on the Waves Tour, sharing the stage with Blair Dunlop.

In June 2017, Emma started the To My Roots Tour with her full band to promote her third album.

In May and June 2018, Emma went on the To My Roots Spring Tour as a trio.

In April 2019, Emma went on her first tour in mainland China.

In May 2019, Emma started the Atoms Tour to promote her Atoms EP.